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Witcher Easy Mode PDF
Witcher Easy Mode PDF
Credits
The World of
the Witcher
Writers
Cody Pondsmith
J Gray
Cover
Grafit Studio
Back Cover
Alicja Kapustka
Chris Rallis
Illustration
Adrian Smith
Nemanja Stankovic
Lorenzo Mastroianni
Typography
Cody Pondsmith
Editing
Carol Darnell
J Gray
Iconic Maps ©Tad Davis The Witcher Roleplaying Game is set in a Whether you’re a hard-bitten mer-
world of dark, mature fantasy where hap- cenary who lives from job to job never ask-
Some map icons from py endings are rare and actions have con- ing questions, or an idealistic bard traveling
Cityographer High Seas City sequences, often swift and brutal. the land to spread some cheer and revelry in
Map Icons, Cityographer In the war-torn lands of the Conti- these dark days, you must fight if you want
October 2015 Monthly Map nent, murder, assault, and theft are a daily to survive in a world determined to break
City Icons, Dugeonographer threat and only the strong survive. Thieves you. Though happy endings are rare, the
2016 April Monthly Map run rampant and mercenaries are as nu- darkness makes the joyful moments all the
Icons, and Cityographer merous as the doctors who heal them or sweeter, and companionship is one of the
Vegetation City Map Icons the priests who inter them. Only the brav- greatest treasures that you can attain. For
by artist Keith Curtis. est souls venture into the wilderness, where better or worse, this is your world. For play-
witchers armed with razor-sharp silver ers new to The Witcher TRPG, here are some
swords hunt monsters armed not only with key points to the Witcher setting.
tooth and claw but magic as well.
In the cities, the poor scrabble to The Conjunction
survive in filthy tenements and the rich Long ago, the Conjunction of the Spheres
perch high above on the unstable towers of changed the way the world functioned for-
their power, some advised by clever mages ever. Many different realms collided with
constantly looking for the best opportuni- one another, creating rifts through which
ties. Humans reign supreme, save for a few hundreds upon hundreds of creatures
small communities. Once-proud elves and spilled out. The reasonably mundane world
dwarves are kept in hovels and executed dai- was suddenly filled with creatures of all
ly, often for crimes they have not even com- shapes and sizes as well as a mystical force
mitted. Hatred and fear fuel this great blaze, that came to be known as “Chaos” or “Mag-
and most continue feeding the fire ‘til their ic.” Unfortunately, with very little ability to
last dying breath. There are no heroes, only manipulate the forces of magic and little
people. preparation to fight the monsters that came
3
through the conjunction many races were and Rowan, two smaller neighbors. Howev-
plunged into a strange, dangerous, and un- er, most people point to the year 1239, when
certain time period. This uncertainty would Nilfgaard marched into Ebbing under the
last for many generations. command of a Usurpator who had killed the
Dice You’ll Need
previous emperor and exiled his heir, Emhyr. Luckily, The Witcher TRPG
Witchers & Monsters While the Empire had absorbed five coun- only needs two types of dice!
Witchers were created centuries ago to save tries by this point, this invasion launched You’ll need ten-sided dice
humans from monsters. They were a broth- a massive campaign that conquered six (d10) and six-sided dice (d6)
erhood of mutants, rigorously trained for regions, nearly tripled the size of the Em- to play the game.
years and sent out every spring to wander pire, and brought them to the borders of
the Continent, hunting monsters and saving what we know as the Northern Kingdoms.
the local townsfolk from curses. While many With Emhyr var Emreis’ restoration as the The Continent
people were thankful to see a witcher when true Emperor of Nilfgaard, the Nilfgaard- In the world of The Witcher,
they needed help, the bizarre and frighten- ian Wars that everyone talks about began. the vast western coastline
ing nature of these monster hunters (as well Nine years ago, in 1263, Nilfgaard invaded that much of the franchise
as their secrecy and penchant for neutrality the country of Cintra, starting the First Nil- takes place on is only ever
in politics) often got them in trouble, and fgaardian War. The combined armies of the referred to as “the Continent”.
still does. This became especially true a few Northern Kingdoms repulsed Nilfgaard, but Travel beyond the Continent
centuries into their existence. after a short interregnum, Nilfgaardian sub- is difficult and dangerous but
Witchers’ sole reason for living is to terfuge pushed the leaders of the Northern there are several far off, exotic
hunt monsters and break curses; their train- Kingdoms to secretly instigate the Second lands that the countries of the
ing makes them extremely efficient. In a War in hopes of catching Nilfgaard before Continent do trade with.
way, they did their work too well. Witchers, they were prepared. This backfired, and Nil-
and their silver and meteorite blades, made fgaard conquered much of the North before
many species of monsters extinct. Monster another combined effort from Northern Lore In The Full
species fell one by one, and monsters be- monarchs pushed the Empire back. Now, Game
came less and less common, witchers began just three years after the end of the Second If you aren’t familiar with the
to lose their purpose. Even with very little Nilfgaardian War, in 1272, the armies of Nil- world of The Witcher you
work in monster slaying and curse break- fgaard yet again storm the Northern King- may be getting a bit over-
ing, witchers still often refused to work as doms, having already weakened the North whelmed by all the names,
assassins or mercenaries. This aggravat- through sabotage and assassination. Things and dates, and historical fig-
ed the kings of the realms; soon, they saw look dark for the Northern Kingdoms. ures. In the full game, there
witchers as more dangerous than helpful. By is an introduction that gives
the 1250s, monsters were so rare that many
species had fallen into mythology—no more Your Character a summary of the history of
the Witcher world and a 32-
than fairy tales to frighten children. It was In The Witcher TRPG, your character is
the person you inhabit while playing in the page lore section to help new
rare for anyone to see so much as a ghoul, players acquaint themselves
let alone more dangerous beasts such as game. While it is often a good idea to start
out playing characters that are similar to with the setting.
fiends or grave hags. The common folk’s fear
transferred onto the mutants who had once yourself, your character can be just about
been their protectors. One by one, the once- anybody you want. In the core game, there
proud Witcher Schools were assaulted and is a large section devoted to creating your
destroyed by the same humans whom they character from the ground up: building
protected. their background, choosing their profession
and race, and the like. For the purposes of
The Nilfgaardian Wars this quick-start, six pre-generated charac-
The Nilfgaardian Wars, also known as the ters are provided.
Northern Wars, encompass several wars
through which the country of Nilfgaard ex-
panded north, across the Continent, absorb-
ing many other countries and forming an
Empire that has had no equal in the histo-
ry of the known world. Unfortunately, Nil-
fgaard also became known for its brutality
over the course of these wars.
Technically the wars began decades
ago with Nilfgaard’s absorption of Ymlac
4
Skill Bases Body Swallow Potion For 20 Rounds, you regenerate 3 points of Health at the
end of your turn. If you take damage in a round before
Alchemy (6) Intimidation (11)
(x1) you regenerate you do not regenerate.
Armor This Formula allows you to craft the Swallow Potion us-
Athletics (14) Physique (13) Swallow Potion
ing Alchemy. You also have enough ingredients to craft
Verden Archer’s Hood Formula 1 Swallow Potion.
Awareness (12) Spell Casting (9)
Weapons
Name WA DMG Effect
Punch +0 1d6+2 Non-Lethal
Abilities
Crafter’s Eye Strong
With their eye for fine detail and Due to their compact frame and pro-
appraisal it is hard to bluff a dwarf. pensity for tough, physically demand-
Dwarves have an inherent +1 to their ing professions, dwarves gain a +1 to
Business Skill Base. their Physique Skill Base.
Defining Skill: Practiced Paranoia (12)
Whenever a Criminal comes within
Tough
10m of a trap (this includes ambush-
A dwarf ’s tough skin means that any
es) they immediately can make a Prac-
time they would take physical damage,
ticed Paranoia roll at either the DC to
they reduce the total amount by 2. This
spot the trap, the ambushing party’s
reduction applies after the damage has
Stealth roll, or a DC set by the GM.
penetrated the armor but before the
Even if they don’t succeed in spotting
damage is modified by location.
the trap, they are still aware that some-
thing is wrong.
8
Possessions
Ada of Ban Ard
Item Name Effect Race Human Health
80 Crowns Crowns are the primary currency in The Witcher TRPG. Profession Man At Arms
45
Broadhead Bolts Broadhead bolts are alternate ammunition for the
Crossbow. When you deal damage with a broadhead INT
(x3) 4 VIGOR 0
bolt, the attack inflicts the bleeding condition. Stamina
The broadhead bolt diagram allows you to make 10 REF 10 SAVE 9
Broadhead Bolt
broadhead bolts with a single Crafting Check. You also
Diagram have enough ingredients to craft 10 Broadhead Bolts.
DEX 8 LEAP 3
45
BODY 10 HP 45
Crafting Tools Crafting tools allow you to craft items from diagrams.
SPD 6 STA 45
Crossbow Bolts Crossbow Bolts are used as the ammunition for the
Crossbow.
EMP 5 REC 9 Armor Values
(x20)
Flint & Steel can be used to light a small flammable
CRA 4 Head 12
Flint & Steel object on fire. WILL 8 Upper 12
Having a grappling hook at the end of your rope al-
LUCK 5 Body
lows you to throw it up to high places with an Athletics
Grappling Hook Check and grants a Moderate (+3) bonus to climbing Lower 12
the rope.
Skill Bases Body
Rope 20m meters of rope. Awareness (8) Endurance (13)
Armor
Brawling (13) Intimidation (11)
Satchel A satchel holds all of your possessions.
Chain Coif
Courage (14) Melee (16)
A signal horn allows you to blow a note that can be
Signal Horn heard from miles around. Crafting (6) Physique (13) Brigandine
A Temerian Shield can be used to block incoming at- Crossbow (13) Staff/Spear (14)
Temerian Shield tacks. Armored Trousers
Deduction (5) Tactics (10)
Torch Once lit, a lantern lowers the level of penalty from light
(x1) conditions by 1 within 5m of the torch. Dodge/Escape (13) Wilderness Survival (6)
Weapons
Name WA DMG Effect
Punch +0 1d6+4 Non-Lethal
Abilities
Ingenuity
Trustworthy
Humans are clever and often have
Humans have an inherent +1 to their
brilliant solutions to difficult prob-
Charisma, Seduction, and Persuasion
lems. Humans gain an inherent +1 to
Checks against other humans.
Deduction.
Defining Skill: Tough As Nails (16)
Blindly Stubborn When a Man At Arms falls to or below
A human can summon up their cour- 0 Health, they can roll Tough As Nails
age and re-roll a failed Resist Coer- at a DC equal to the number of neg-
cion or Courage roll 3 times per game ative Health times 2 to keep fighting.
session. They take the higher of the If they fail, they fall into death state
two rolls, but if they still fail they can- as per usual. If they succeed they can
not re-use the ability to roll again. keep fighting as if they were only at
their Wound Threshold.
9
LUCK 8 Body
A hand mirror shows the user’s reflection. It also allows
Lower 5 Hand Mirror them to see behind themselves and around corners if
Weapons
Name WA DMG Effect
Punch +0 1d6-2 Non-Lethal
Dagger +0 1d6 —
Abilities
Marksman
Artistic
Years of tradition and practice make
Elves have a natural eye for beauty and
elves some of the best archers in the
a talent for artistic endeavours. Elves
world. Elves gain an inherent +2 to
gain an inherent +1 to their Fine Arts
their Archery skill and can draw and
skill.
string a bow without taking an Action.
Defining Skill: Busking (15)
A Bard can take an hour and make a
Busking Check in the nearest town
Natural Attunement
center. The total of this roll is the
Elves do not disturb animals, meaning
amount of money raked in by the Bard
that any beast they encounter is con-
while they perform on the street. A
sidered friendly and will not attack
fumble can lower the roll, and a nega-
unless provoked.
tive value results in a Mild (-1) penalty
to Charisma Checks against anyone in
the town for the rest of the day.
10
Possessions
Kaska Torma
Item Name Effect Race Dwarf Health
90 Crowns Crowns are the primary currency in The Witcher TRPG. Profession Doctor
25
The alchemy set allows you to craft items from alchem-
Alchemy Set ical formulae. INT 9 VIGOR 0
Applying a dose of clotting powder to a wound stops Stamina
Clotting Powder the bleeding effect for 2d10 rounds. After the rounds
REF 6 SAVE 5
(x3) elapse the wound begins bleeding again. You can then DEX 6 LEAP 4
25
apply another dose.
The clotting powder formula allows you to create a dose
BODY 5 HP 25
Clotting Powder
Formula
of clotting powder with Alchemy. You also have enough SPD 8 STA 25
ingredients to craft 1 dose of clotting powder.
Crossbow Bolts Crossbow Bolts are used as the ammunition for the
EMP 7 REC 5 Armor Values
(x20) Hand Crossbow. CRA 10 Head 3
Lantern
Once lit, a lantern lowers the level of penalty from light WILL 5 Upper 3
conditions by 2 within 3m of the lantern.
LUCK 4 Body
Large Tent A large tent provides shelter for around 5 or 6 people. Lower 3
Consuming a dose of Pantagran’s elixir brings delirious Skill Bases Body
Pantagran’s Elixir happiness. This effect lasts for 1d6/2 hours and leaves Alchemy (13) Deduction (14)
the imbiber incredibly susceptible to Persuasion, Cha-
(x1) risma, and Seduction, giving them a Moderate (-3) pen- Armor
Athletics (8) Dodge/Escape (10)
alty to Resist Coercion.
Verden Archer’s Hood
Awareness (15) Human Perception (12)
Satchel A satchel holds all of your possessions.
Business (13) Physique (7) Gambeson
Smelling salts can be placed under an unconscious or
Smelling Salts stunned person, or creature’s nose to immediately bring Charisma (11) Resist Coercion (9)
(x1) them out of their stunned state. Smelling salts can be Cavalry Trousers
used 25 times. Courage (10) Small Blades (10)
A surgeon’s kit allows you to perform surgery with Crossbow (8) Social Etiquette (11)
Surgeon’s Kit your Healing Hands ability.
Weapons
Name WA DMG Effect
Punch +0 1d6+4 Non-Lethal
Dagger +0 1d6+2 —
Abilities
Crafter’s Eye Strong
With their eye for fine detail and Due to their compact frame and pro-
appraisal it is hard to bluff a dwarf. pensity for tough, physically demand-
Dwarves have an inherent +1 to their ing professions, dwarves gain a +1 to
Business skill. their Physique skill.
Tough Defining Skill: Healing Hands (16)
A dwarf ’s tough skin means that any A Doctor with Healing Hands is the
time they would take physical damage, only person who can heal a Critical
they reduce the total amount by 2. This Wound. Details on healing Critical
reduction applies after the damage has Wounds can be found in the Combat
penetrated the armor but before the Section. Healing Hands can also be
damage is modified by location. used for any First Aid Check.
11
Lifepath
This sample Lifepath will give you a chance to add background to your character, making your version unique and giving you
more details to help you roleplay them. In the full game, Lifepath is incredibly varied with different homelands, a series of rolls
to determine special events in the characters life, and even a unique Lifepath for Witcher characters. This small snippet is here
to give you a feel for how Lifepath goes. Please start by rolling on the Familial Fate table.
Due to some action or inaction your family has become hated One or more of your parents were killed by monsters. It is your
6
7 in your home town and now no one there wants to have any- decision as to what they may have fallen prey to.
thing to do with them. One or more of your parents were falsely executed. They may have
7
been a scapegoat for something or just in the wrong place.
One day everything you had was ripped away by a bandit mob.
8 One or more of your parents died of a plague. There was noth-
Your family was massacred, leaving you entirely alone. 8
ing that could be done but try to ease their passing.
Your family has a deep, dark secret that if discovered would
9 ruin you all completely. You can decide what this secret is, or One or more of your parents defected to Nilfgaard. They may
the Game Master can decide. 9 have been given a deal for information or they may just have
jumped the border.
Your family has come to despise each other. No one you grew One or more of your parents were kidnapped by nobles. Likely
10 up with will talk with each other any more and you’re lucky to 10 it was your mother, who attracted the attention of a local lord
get a passing hello from your siblings. or his son.
character and then compared. The character roll a third time. This time, the result is 3. This
with the highest result succeeds. If the re- is added to the 35 for a total Skill Check result
sults are equal, the defender (the character of 38.
reacting instead of acting) succeeds. If nei- When the result of a Skill Check roll
Example Modifiers
ther character is the defender (for example, is 1, roll the d10 a second time and subtract Mod. Example
in an arm-wrestling contest) the Skill Check that value from the Skill Base. If the result is
Extra time spent
ends in a draw and the characters must de- a 10, subtract 10 from the Skill Base and roll Mild
on task, superior
cide if they want to continue opposing one a third time, subtracting that value as well. (+1)
tools
another and make another Skill Check. Keep going until the roll is something other
than a 10. A Skill Check result can never be Performing
Modifiers reduced below a 1. Mild
complex task
There might be times when the GM decides Example: Kaska’s player rolls a 1 on for the first time,
(-1)
factors beyond a character’s abilities can in- a Human Perception Skill Check. They roll being slightly
fluence a Skill Check. For example, a charac- again for a 10 and subtract that from their drunk
ter might be trying to spot a thief in a room Human Perception Base of 12 for a total of Aid from an-
with dim light. When this happens, the GM 2. Because the second roll was a 10, they roll other character
assigns a modifier to the Skill Check in the a third time, getting a 4. Kaska’s Human Per- experienced in
form of a bonus or penalty. ception Skill Check is reduced to the mini- the task, wearing
Bonuses positively modify Skill mum value of 1. Moderate
the right military
Checks. Penalties negatively modify them. (+3)
uniform and
They come in three levels: Mild (+1/-1), Saves rank when
Moderate (+3/-3), and Major (+5/-5). When When there is a chance a character might giving orders to a
a GM assigns a modifier, it is added or sub- be stunned or might die, they must make solider
tracted to the Skill Check before deciding a Save Check. To make a Save Check, roll Dim lighting
the result. 1d10 and compare it to the character’s Save. conditions,
Example: Orban Madaras has been If the roll is less than the Save value, the Moderate
distracting
arrested and is attempting to pick the cell lock Check succeeds. If it is equal to or greater (-3)
environment,
with an improvised lock pick fashioned from than the Save value, the Check fails, and the sleep-deprived
their belt buckle. The GM decides working character is stunned or dead.
without the proper tools imposes a Moderate Possessing a
(-3) Penalty on the Skill Check. Orban’s play- Statistics royal writ when
er rolls 1d10 for a 4, adds Orban’s Pick Lock Statistics are the inherent physical and men- giving orders,
Base of 9, and then subtracts the penalty of 3. tal abilities of a character. Major being intimately
The total is 10. • INTELLIGENCE (INT): Memory, per- (+5) familiar with a
A GM can assign multiple modifi- ception, and deduction. location when
ers to a Skill Check. • REFLEXES (REF): Unarmed & melee trying to notice
GMs can use the Example Modi- combat and riding. something
fiers Table to help them decide if a factor • DEXTERITY (DEX): Ranged combat, Full darkness,
warrants a bonus or penalty. It can’t cover sleight of hand, and stealth. Major under attack,
every situation but gives GMs benchmarks, • BODY (BODY): Strength and endur- (-5) hostile environ-
so they can make calls of their own. ance. ment
• SPEED (SPD): Distance a character can
Exploding 1s and 10s move in a turn.
When a 1 or a 10 is rolled on a Skill Check, • EMPATHY (EMP): Performing, social
the die “explodes”, which means the die is interactions, and understanding others.
rolled again and modifies the results. • CRAFT (CRA): Creating and using
When a 10 is rolled, add 10 to the things, medicine.
Skill Check. Then roll the d10 again and add • WILL (WILL): Matters of magic, intim-
that number to the Skill Check as well. If the idation, and courage.
second roll is a 10, add 10 and roll again. • LUCK (LUCK): A pool of points play-
Keep doing this until the new roll is some- ers can spend. Each point spent adds a
thing other than a 10. Mild (+1) bonus to a Skill Check or rais-
Example: Kaska’s player rolls a 10 es their Save by 1 for a Save Check.
on an Awareness Skill Check. They add 10 to • Vigor: How much magic a magic user
their Awareness Base of 15 for a total of 25, can channel (see Magic).
then roll again, getting another 10. They add • Save: Used when making a Save Check.
10 to the current total of 25 to make 35 and
14
Combat
Combat in The Witcher is deadly, bloody,
and punishing. You can go running into
Actions
Opposition And
Monsters
Unlike players, NPCs and
monsters which are controlled
battle, hacking and slashing but that likely Actions by the GM do not take Fast
won’t help against anything tougher than Attack Action or Strong Strikes. They have
a mugger in the local tavern. A tactical Attack an opponent using a Fast or Strong a Rate of Fire (ROF) which
warrior will always make it farther than a Strike. shows you how many times
savage madman. they can use their attacks when
Casting Action
they take an Attack Action.
Rounds and Turns Cast a Sign or Spell.
Example: On the
Combat in The Witcher TRPG breaks down Item Action monster’s turn, the GM decides
into rounds, a time block of about 3 seconds Draw, pick up, or use an item. the monster is going to use its
during which each participant in the com- Claw Attack Action. The ROF is
bat has a turn to act. Movement Action
Move up to a number of meters equal to their 2, so the GM makes two Attack
Checks.
Initiative SPEED.
If the NPC or mon-
The order of turns in a round is determined Skill Action ster has a ROF of two, they can
by Initiative, which players roll for their Use a Skill to perform a task which can be make both attacks against the
characters at the start of combat. To deter- accomplished in 3 seconds. same target or split them.
mine Initiative, roll 1d10+REFLEX for each
player character. The GM rolls for everyone Special Movement
else. GMs can roll for each participant they During combat, a character might be called
control individually but may speed things upon to move in unusual ways or difficult
up by rolling a single Initiative for groups of circumstances. Unless they have an ability
characters, such as a squad of castle guards, that rules otherwise, whenever a character
who will all act at the same time during a has to move through unusual terrain (mov-
round. ing through thorny overgrowth, squeezing
Once Initiative is determined, com- through a narrow pipe, etc.) or in unusual
bat proceeds. Each round, the participant ways (climbing, swimming, etc.) they move
with the highest Initiative acts first, then the up to a number of meters equal to their Leap
next highest, and so forth, until the lowest instead of their SPEED.
Initiative. If there is a tie, the character with Jumping is an Action and should be
the highest REFLEX goes first. Once each performed after Movement and not before.
participant has acted, the round ends and a
new round begins. Extra Action
A character can always choose to At the end of their turn, a player charac-
delay their turn, voluntarily lowering their ter has the option of spending 3 points of
Initiative so they act later in the round. STAMINA in order to perform a single Ex-
However, the point at which they take their tra Action. This Extra Action is performed
turn becomes their new Initiative for the re- with a Moderate (-3) penalty if it requires a
mainder of the combat. Skill Check. Much like a regular Action, an
Extra Action can be any listed on the Action
Actions Table.
During their turn, a character can do the GM controlled characters and crea-
following: tures cannot normally perform Extra Ac-
• Movement: Move up to a number of tions.
meters equal to their SPEED.
• Action: Perform a single Action, as de- Weapon Accuracy (WA)
fined on the Actions Table. All weapons in The Witcher TRPG have a
A character can perform their Movement Weapon Accuracy which shows how easy/
and Action in any order, but they cannot difficult to wield they are. When attacking
split their Movement to move, perform an you add/subtract the WA of the weapon to
Action, and move again. your Check.
16
Effects
Certain abilities, spells, and other factors can inflict Effects on characters which have on-
going consequences beyond damage. Effects of the same type do not stack on a character.
Name Effect
You are bleeding. You take 2 points of HP damage at the start of your turn each
Bleed round until a successful First Aid Skill Check at DC:15 stops the bleeding; this is
an Action.
Your eyes are covered or damaged. Until you can uncover or heal your eyes you
Blinded have a Moderate (-3) penalty to all Attack and Defense Actions and a Major (-5)
penalty to all Awareness Skill Checks.
Your HP has been reduced to 0. You also suffer the prone and unconscious
Effects and must make an immediate Save Check or die. At the beginning of your
turn on each successive round or if you are hit by another successful Attack Ac-
Dying tion, you must make an additional Save Check or die. These Saves have a cumu-
lative Mild (-1) penalty for each Save you made beyond the first. This Effect ends
when you are Stabilized (see Healing) or die.
You are engulfed in flame. At the start of your turn each round you take 5 points of
damage to your upper body, lower body, and head. Armor SP lowers this damage,
but the flames reduce the SP of the Armor by 1 each turn, even if it blocks all the
Fire damage. To remove the Effect you must either spend a full turn putting out the
flames by rolling around or submerging yourself in water. You cannot perform any
Action or Movement while doing so.
Your body is stiff with cold and covered in an icy glaze. You suffer a Moderate (-3)
Freeze penalty to your SPEED and a Minor (-1) penalty to your REFLEX. Breaking free
requires a DC:16 Physique Skill Check, which is an Action.
A toxic substance is in your body. You take 3 points of lethal damage at the start of
your turn each round. Armor does not negate this damage. The Effect ends when
Poison the toxin is treated by medicine (DC:15 First Aid Skill Check) or resisted (DC:15
Endurance Skill Check). Both are an Action.
You have been knocked off your feet. You suffer a Moderate (-3) Penalty to all
Attack and Defense Actions. Standing up requires either someone to spend an
Prone Action to pull you up or you to sacrifice your Movement to get to your feet. Once
you are on your feet, you can finish your turn as normal.
Acting has become difficult, either for emotional or physical reasons. While
Stun stunned you cannot move or take an Action, including Defense Actions. To end
this Effect, you must either take a full turn to make a Save Check or be successfully
struck by an Attack Action.
You are unconscious. You also suffer the prone Effect and cannot move or
Unconscious perform any Action, including Defense Actions. This Effect ends when you are
Stabilized (see Healing).
Some spells are marked Area. Area ing an Active spell, but it can be dropped at
spells will either fill a cone with a designated any time without taking an action.
width at its widest point and the caster as an
origin point, or it fills a circle with a desig- Critical Wounds
nated width which centers on a point desig- Spells with a physical component, such
nated by the caster within the spell’s range. as a spell which sets a target on fire or hits
Spells with a duration of immediate them with shards of earth, can cause Critical
take effect right away and then end. Spells Wounds if the Spell Casting Check exceeds
with a random duration (for example, 1d10 the target’s Defense Action by a high enough
rounds) require a die roll to determine amount(See Combat).
how long it lasts and end on the end of the
magic user’s turn on the final round. Spells Fumbling
with a duration of Active require additional If a player rolls a 1 when making a Spell
STAMINA be spent each round to maintain Casting skill Check, the magic user not only
or else it ends. The STAMINA must be spent fails at casting the spell but suffers harm.
at the beginning of the magic user’s turn and The GM should ask the player to make a
counts towards the total Stamina Cost when second d10 roll, then consult the following
it comes to Vigor Threshold. No other spell table and apply an effect based on the result.
can be cast while a magic user is maintain-
Fumble Table
Roll Effect
The magic sparks, dealing an amount of HP damage to the magic user
1-6 equal to the Stamina Cost of the spell. Armor does not negate this dam-
age.
In addition to the above, the magic user suffers an effect depending on
the elemental type of the spell.
• Earth: The magic user is stunned.
• Air: The magic user is knocked prone and back 2 meters.
• Fire: The magic user is set on fire.
7-9 • Water: The magic user is frozen.
• Mixed Element: Roll 1d6.
• 1: The earth effect.
• 2: The air effect.
• 3-5: The fire effect.
• 6: The water effect.
In addition to the above, there is an explosion of energy outward from
the magic user. Anyone within a 2-meter radius also suffers an amount
10
of HP damage equal to the Stamina Cost of the spell to the upper body.
Armor does defend against this damage.
22
Luskar’s Formula
Alchemy
Name Time Components
DC
Swallow Potion 16 1/2 Hour Aether (x1), Caelum (x1), Vitriol (x1),
Ada’s Diagram
Alchemy
Name Time Components
DC
Ammunition, Broadhead Timber (x1), Iron (x1), Feathers (x1),
15 1 Hour
(x10) Sharpening Grit (x1)
23
GM Advice
When running a Witcher game there are players to reach for, and if they get it that
Monster Aren’t The
Only Evil
In The Witcher the monsters
aren’t the only things that you
a few things to keep in mind to get your doesn’t mean that the game ends and noth-
players in the right mood. This brief snip- ing more can be done. Once you’ve achieved have to worry about. Between
pet of the Game Master’s Guide will give happiness you have to protect it. You have to bloody power struggles, hate
you a few of those basic concepts. defend everything you care about from the crimes, and general unrest,
ravages of this war-torn world. Even if your the people of the Continent
Life’s Hard. Enjoy it! players discover happiness, make them fight can be just as dangerous as the
By now you’ve probably noticed that The for it. Have monsters attack their homes, monsters. In some ways, even
Witcher TRPG is fairly ruthless. Gear is soldiers try to take their families. Make it more deadly; at least with a
expensive and life is cheap. That’s because clear that they can have a happy life but it monster you know where you
that’s what The Witcher is. It’s deadly and won’t be without cost. stand. You’re not safe within
unforgiving. The economy is such that a the walls of a city. There may be
simple throwing knife costs you an arm and No Question Is Easily guards and “civilized” people
a leg, and you may lose an arm and a leg get- Answered surrounding you. You may be
ting the money to buy that throwing knife. The Witcher world is not a nice neat little behind meter-thick stone walls
The world is hard-edged and rough, but this world where the right answer is obviously guarded by archers, but watch
makes the happy moments all the sweeter. apparent the minute the question is asked. your back because there’s
After a long day of death and destruction, In many cases there isn’t even a “right” an- someone in every hamlet
an almost normal home or a genuinely lov- swer. Players must often choose between willing to slip a knife between
ing embrace can be the greatest reward in two answers that both seem equally “right” your ribs, for your money, for
the world. The brightest of the few shining or “wrong”. They may make mistakes that revenge, or just because they
lights in The Witcher are friendship and haunt them for the rest of their lives. don’t like you.
love. These two things make the grim slog The world of The Witcher can be,
through life worth it. messy, difficult, and bloody. Never let your
As a GM it’s important to remem- players get off with an obvious answer to a
ber that while the world of The Witcher is a difficult question. Make them compromise.
dark, grim, and deadly place, achieving hap- If your whole party gets caught up discuss-
piness is possible. Players can find someone ing the ethical ramifications of what they’re
to love, settle down, and have a happy fami- about to do then you’ve done a good job.
ly. But it doesn’t come without a price. Hap-
piness should always be out there for your
24
Still Waters
Verbal Combat In
The Full Game
Many aspects of this mission
can be resolved non-violently
with the use of social skills. In
the full version of The Witch-
Background (Read Aloud) The Rest of the Story
The Temerian capital of Vizima has fallen un- The players are refugees of Temeria. While
er TRPG there is an optional der a tidal wave of black and gold. You were they might not all be from Temeria orig-
set of rules which allow you there. You saw everything. The Black Ones inally, they all found themselves in the
to turn a simple exchange of didn’t even bother lobbing rotten cows and city of Vizima on the morning of the Nil-
die rolls into a pulse pounding soldier’s heads over the walls. The Nilfgaard- fgaardian siege. Having escaped with their
verbal combat complete with ian war machine hit the walls of the capital lives, the players have wound their way up
witty ripostes, compelling ar- and suddenly everything was blood and steel. through Temeria and come to the swamps
guments, and special abilities Screaming and death. You managed to drag surrounding the Pontar River, which forms
to study your opponent or use yourself out of that hell and head north. With a natural boundary between the country
their weaknesses against them. Nilfgaardian scouting patrols hounding the of Temeria and the country of Redania. As
few survivors of the massacre you’ve stopped they head into the swamp and search for a
recognizing the deep forest and rural towns way to ford the river, what they don’t know
A Note On The you’re passing through. Only when you hit is that not only must they avoid a horde of
Scoia’tael the swamp did you realize you were near the bloodthirsty drowners, but also a Comman-
It may sound strange, but a Pontar River. Now all that’s left is to cross and do of Scoia’tael. This group of embittered
group of Scoia’tael is known look for shelter in Redania. anti-human radicals have been hiding in the
as a Commando. This is not a swamp, murdering human caravans for the
typo. last few weeks.
25
the player stop and she addresses either the down it which need to be shored up
player with highest Leadership or the high- with a crossbar. This requires a DC:15
est Empathy: Physique Check to push the piece back
into place and a DC:13 Crafting Check
Combat in the Water
Who are you and what are doing in to set the crossbar. Characters who fall into the
my camp? I have little time for banter and • Fire has weakened a large section of the water take a Moderate (-3)
very little patience left for liars. left door. It either needs to be reinforced penalty to Attack and Defense
with a compound created by a DC:15 Actions and can only move as
Commander Ciara is concerned that the Alchemy Check or shored up with scrap far as their Leap value with a
players are Nilfgaardian spies. She knows wood by a DC:15 Crafting Check. movement action.
that Nilfgaard is sieging north and they like
to send spies ahead to gather intelligence Upon fixing the Gate, the players are taken
and destabilize the area. to the ferry. Go to The Commander.
If the players try to lie to Com- Fleeing Into The
mander Ciara, they must roll a Deceit Check A Ferry Ride Forest
against her Human Perception Check. If she If the players worked with the Scoia’tael, one If the players reach the banks
catches the players lying to her about any- of the Scoia’tael archers begins pulling the of the other side of the Pontar,
thing, she alerts all the Scoia’tael Archers in ferry’s chain to move it across the river. If the the drowners will only pursue
the area and gives the players one last chance players stole the ferry, a player can take their for one round. The terrain on
to tell the truth. If she catches a Human ly- Action to pull the chain for the ferry. It takes the other side of the river is the
ing to her, combat begins as she immediate- 4 rounds of pulling the chain to get across same as the swampy terrain on
ly draws her Elven Messer. the river. On the first round that the ferry the south side.
If the players can persuade Com- is making its way across the river, have the
mander Ciara that they are not Nilfgaardian players make an Awareness Check against
Spies, she lets them be. Move on to A Ferry the Stealth Check of the drowners. If a play-
Ride. er succeeds, they are aware of the drowners’
ambush before it happens. A number of
Fixing the Gate drowners equal to the players burst up out
The players are given a few makeshift tools of the water and attack the players. If they
and told to fix the gate. Players can make a agreed to help, the Scoia’tael continue to pull
DC:14 Tactics Check to know that the gate the chain, moving the ferry across the river
was damaged by bombs. If asked about the and after another 3 rounds, the ferry reach-
bombs, the Scoia’tael tell them (truthfully) es the other side of the Pontar. If, by some
that they used bombs they had stolen from a chance, someone winds up in the water, see
military convoy a few months back to break the Side Bar, Combat In The Water.
down the gate and take over the town. With
amusement, the Scoia’tael recount how they Across the River
broke down the gate to find most of the in- Having made it across the river, the players
habitants already fleeing into the river. None can continue their path into Redania to try
of the townsfolk made it across the river, and seek shelter from the Nilfgaardian War
though. As soon as they got in over their Machine. Read the following:
waists the drowners pulled them under.
As the river disappears into the distance be-
The Gate has 3 major problems left: hind you, you can see the forests of Redania
• The hinge on the left door has been bent spreading out before you. It’ll be another few
and battered out of shape. To fix this re- days before you can find a town, but the hard
quires a Crafting Check at a DC:16. part is over and, for now, the warfront is far
• The right door has a split all the way behind you
28
Map
29
Natural Attunement
Elves do not disturb animals, meaning that any beast they encounter is consid-
ered friendly and will not attack unless provoked.
30
Possessions
Scoia’tael Archer
Name Effect Type Humanoid (Elf) Health
1d10 Crowns Crowns are the primary currency in The Witcher TRPG.
INT 4 VIGOR 0
25
Arrows
Arrows are used as ammunition for the Long Bow. REF 6 SAVE 5
(x30)
DEX 7 LEAP 4 Stamina
Elven Burrowers are a special type of ammunition for
bows. When an Elven Burrower does damage to a tar- BODY 5 HP 25
get, that target is inflicted with the bleeding condition.
Elven Burrowers
Additionally, the head of the arrow remains in the SPD 7 STA 25 25
(x10) wound and can only be removed with a DC:16 First
Aid (or Healing Hands) Check. Until, the arrow head
EMP 3 REC 5
is removed the bleeding condition cannot be stopped. CRA 4
Armor Values
WILL 6
Head 5
LUCK 0
Academic Knowledge (Education DC:14) Upper 5
Body
Scoia’tael can be difficult to fight. They rarely rush at you Skill Bases
and attack randomly. Being trained as guerilla fighters, Lower 5
Scoia’tael travel in groups called ‘commandos’ and lay am-
Athletics (14) Resist Coercion (10) Body
bushes for their prey. When traveling through dense wil- Archery (15) Resist Magic (10)
derness in the North, always keep an eye out in the trees Awareness (13) Small Blades (12) Armor
and bushes. Oftentimes Scoia’tael commandos will track
prey for a few hours until they come to a good ambush spot. Brawling (10) Stealth (15) Double Woven Hood
When they do attack, Scoia’tael will usually begin Courage (12) Swordsmanship (12)
their ambush with a barrage of arrows from the forest line. Aedirnian Gambeson
Dodge/Escape (13) Wilderness Survival (14)
With the first barrage fired, half of the unit will switch to
Padded Trousers
their falchions and charge, sometimes screaming a battle Endurance (12)
cry such as “Aelirren!” or “Sherrawedd!”, that calls back to
the great elven hero Aelirren and the place of her death,
Sherrawedd Palace. While the melee group engages you, Weapons
the other half of the commando will stay back, firing into Name ROF WA DMG Effect
the melee. Scoia’tael who are too far for melee and within Punch 1 +0 1d6 Non-Lethal
10m or so will often throw knives at the nearest target. The
best way to fight Scoia’tael archers is to have cover. If you Kick 1 +0 1d6+4 Non-Lethal
have a cart or caravan, get behind it (or better yet inside it) Dagger 1 +0 1d6 —
and force them to come to you. Try your best to stay out of
the archer’s line of sight and deal with the melee fighters Hunter’s
1 +0 3d6 —
first. Negotiation is not advised. Falchion
Long Bow 1 +0 4d6 Range: 200m
Throwing
Knives 1 +0 1d6 Range:20m
(x3)
Vulnerability Ability
Ambush Specialist
Hanged Man’s Venom When making a Stealth Check to
Scoia’tael Archers take extra dam- hide from targets, Scoia’tael Arch-
age from weapons coated in Hanged ers use the highest Stealth Check
Man’s Venom. amongst all of them. This Check
counts for the whole group.
31
Drowner Loot
Type Necrophage Health Name Uses
Drowner Brains
Drowner Brain contains one unit of Rebis.
INT 1 VIGOR 0
25 (x1)
REF 7 SAVE 5 Drowner Tongue
Drowner Tongue contains one unit of Caelum.
(x1)
DEX 7 LEAP 3 Stamina
Essence of Water
BODY 6 HP 25
(x1d6/2)
Essence of Water contains one unit of Hydragenum.
SPD 6 STA 25 25
EMP 1 REC 5
CRA 1
Armor Values
Witcher Knowledge (Monster Lore DC:10)
WILL 4 Drowners are actually not resurrected evildoers. Most
Head 0 people think so, thanks to folk stories and popular books
LUCK 0
Upper 0 on the subject of monsters. Drowners, like all necrophag-
Body es, are creatures from another plane that came into this
Lower 0 realm during the Conjunction of the Spheres many centu-
Skill Bases ries ago. With no ecological niche here, they have become
Body
Athletics (13) Endurance (12) a plague upon the land. Drowners prefer coastline, rivers,
Awareness (15) Melee (13) and marshy areas. They are amphibious and spend most of
Armor their time in the water. When they do come out it is usually
Brawling (13) Resist Magic (8)
— to follow their stomachs: to grab something close to the wa-
Courage (12) Stealth (12)
— ter’s edge or search for food on land. When they find some-
Dodge/Escape (12) Wilderness Survival (13) thing to eat, they leap on it in a flurry of claws, attacking as
—
a group and surrounding their prey.
A large group of drowners can be hellish to deal
Weapons with. They overwhelm a single person by attacking in force
Name ROF WA DMG Effect and from all directions. They are immune to poison due
to the horrible, murky, and toxic waters that they are used
Claws 1 +0 3d6 — to, and it takes quite a bit to discourage them. However,
they are also tremendously, staggeringly dumb. The few
studies of drowners agree that they are about as intelligent
Vulnerabilities
as a predatory fish. They act completely on instinct, can-
Fire Vulnerability not in any way be reasoned with, and are even immune to
Necrophage Oil
Drowners are vulnerable to fire dam-
Drowners take extra damage from
age. This includes damage from being spells that would mentally or emotionally affect them. This
weapons coated in Necrophage Oil.
on fire. does mean that they never formulate plans more complex
than ‘attack’ and they can be distracted by sufficiently shiny
things as long as they haven’t tasted blood. Drowners are
Abilities also highly susceptible to fire—it’s your best weapon. Being
Feral
Poison Immunity tremendously dumb, a drowner will continue to fight while
For the purposes of Awareness and
Wilderness Survival, instinct gives
Drowners are immune to the poison on fire and will not try to put itself out until almost dead
effect. (below 10 HP).
them an INT of 7.
Impenetrably Dim
Amphibious
Drowners are so unintelligent that
Drowners can live underwater indefi-
they are immune to any magic that af-
nitely and cannot be drowned.
fects thoughts or emotions.